"How do you know? Did you talk to him?” She looked so hopeful Harriet had to tell her something. She ended up telling her everything.
"You followed him?” Carla asked, sounding amazed at her daring.
"We did,” Harriet said. “He said he would explain what he was doing in Miller Hill Park after he met a guy at Foggy Point Fire Protection. That was last night, and I haven't seen him yet to hear the explanation."
"Someone was at Carlton 's company last night?” Bebe asked, looking up from her braiding.
"I was going to ask Carlton about that,” Harriet said. “Do you know anything about the people who are leasing warehouse space?"
"No, I don't know anything about what goes on out there. All I know is it takes a lot of Carlton 's time, running that company."
As near as Harriet could tell, Carlton barely spent any time at the company, and he certainly wasn't the one running it, but she wasn't about to tell Bebe that.
"Pay attention,” Aunt Beth ordered, and Bebe picked up the four strands of ribbon again and tried to follow the pattern Aunt Beth had drawn on a piece of paper. A quick glance in that direction showed it wasn't going well.
"Has Terry said anything to you about how his search for information about his father is going?” Harriet asked Carla.
"Not really. He said he was trying to find a man someone else had suggested might be able to tell him something, but he didn't tell me who."
"That must have been who he was going to meet last night."
"He's not really looking for his father, is he?” Carla asked with a sigh. She'd had a lifetime of disappointment and could recognize the signs, Harriet thought. She could have spun a tale, but then looked at Carla and knew she deserved better.
"No, he probably isn't. But don't jump to conclusions. That doesn't necessarily mean he's doing anything illegal or immoral."
"I don't need any more lying, cheating men in my life,” Carla said, and her eyes filled with tears.
"Come on. Let's get you a cup of tea,” Harriet said, and felt like she was channeling Mavis or her aunt. She led Carla to the kitchen. “Let's not make any assumptions,” she continued.
She couldn't believe what she was saying. If it was her own life, she'd kick him to the curb, no questions asked, but she knew Carla didn't need to hear that right now. Besides, she was curious about what was going on at Foggy Point Fire Protection and wanted to keep Terry around until he found out.
"I'm not saying you shouldn't confront him, but give him a chance to explain."
"My momma always said men are trouble,” Carla said.
"You're way too young to be that jaded. Remember your knight in shining armor?"
When she and Carla had been locked in a basement together, Carla had told her how she'd imagined being rescued by a knight when her mother locked her in a closet, as a way of keeping the bogey man at bay.
"He's still out there somewhere."
Carla dried her tears and sipped her tea.
"We better see if your aunt needs help,” she said with a sigh. “She had her lips pressed together real tight when she was watching Bebe try to braid."
"It can't be easy with those inch-long plastic sabers she calls fingernails,” Harriet said.
Carla laughed and led the way back to the classroom.
Connie and Jenny had arrived while they were in the kitchen. Jenny looked cool in a crisp white sleeveless blouse and pale-blue linen knee-length shorts that were belted at the waist. Connie, by contrast, wore stretchy black pants, and her sleeveless top was a pink, orange and black floral print in a jersey-type fabric.
"Hi, Bebe,” Connie said. “What are you doing?"
Bebe giggled and explained she was trying to make embellishments that would make her and Carlton 's new luggage easier to identify on their upcoming trip to Hawaii.
"Do you want me to do it for you?” Connie asked.
"Oh, could you?"
"I would be happy to.” Connie sat down, and in a matter of minutes had created four colorful markers that could be attached to the handles of Bebe's luggage.
"Oh, thank you,” Bebe gushed then jumped up and hugged her, almost knocking the older woman over.
"De nada, de nada,” Connie said, and forcefully disengaged herself. “You run along now. I'm sure you have things to do."
"I do,” Bebe replied, clearly grateful Connie understood. She tucked the ribbon markers in her oversized pink hobo bag and left.
"She's so frightfully busy,” Connie said, and then laughed.
"Why did you indulge her?” Beth asked. “I was making her do it herself."
"Because nothing you were doing was going to change who she is. And did you want her here for the next hour?"
"Who her?” Robin said as she came in. Today's sleeveless yoga top was pale pink. Her pants were their usual black Lycra.
"Oh, Bebe was here trying to make those braided ribbon thingies that you put on your suitcase handle so you can find your bag more easily at the airport,” Harriet said.
"Connie was just explaining why she made them for her instead making her struggle through doing them herself,” Beth said.
"You wanted her out of here?” Robin guessed.
"See, she understands,” Connie said. She went toward the kitchen. “Anyone want anything?
Robin joined her in the kitchen, and they both returned with cups of coffee.
"Lauren is in the middle of a work project and might join us later, and Sarah was on front desk duty at the senior center, so we can start as soon as DeAnn gets here,” Harriet explained.
"DeAnn's here,” the missing woman called from the hallway. “Marjory is cutting some backing fabric for my dot-on-dot quilt,” she said, referring to the product of a class she had taken a few months earlier. The quilt top was a circular pattern made completely from dotted fabrics.
She came in tucking her new purchase into her quilting bag as she went to her usual spot at the table. Like most groups, each person had a favorite place.
"As I told you all on the phone, I asked everyone to come in today so we can plan a comfort quilt for Mavis,” Harriet went on. “We also need to discuss what to do about Ilsa, who also lost her husband."
"Oh, that's a tricky one,” Robin said.
"Let's think about that while we decide what we're going to do for Mavis,” Connie suggested.
"Good idea,” Harriet agreed. “Suggestions?"
"I like the idea you and I were talking about,” Beth said. “Something different enough that she can't associate it with Gerald in any way."
"That's a new twist,” Jenny said. “Usually, we're struggling to make our comfort quilt bring out memories of the lost loved one."
"How about soft florals?” Connie suggested. “We could do pale versions of the colors she likes."
"That sounds good to me,” Robin said. “And I think we should use a simple pattern so the fabric print shows more."
"Corn and Beans?” Jenny suggested, referring to a block made from three different sizes of triangle formed into squares.
"How about shoo-fly?” Carla suggested. “We've been using that with the young mothers group."
"I like that idea,” Aunt Beth said. “It's nice and simple."
"If we choose the fabric pretty quick, we can start cutting our blocks while we're here,” DeAnn said.
"Mavis usually buys rust colors and dark blues and greens,” Carla offered.
"So, let's try for lighter, softer versions of those colors,” Beth said.
"And maybe some peach,” Connie offered.
Robin and DeAnn laughed, and Jenny smiled.
"What?” Connie asked. “Peach would go nicely with those colors."
"And you would have suggested it even if it hadn't matched,” Robin pointed out.